Long training sessions are a defining characteristic of endurance training. All athletes know they need to be done, but many often do not consider why. Below is a list of many of the important benefits for performing such a workout.

Increase glycogen storage

Glycogen is the storage form of a carbohydrate, an important fuel source for athletes during endurance sport. When muscle glycogen is depleted during long runs, the body will slowly adapt and increase it’s ability to store higher levels for future use. Research shows that another method of increasing glycogen storage is to perform short, low intensity training runs after an overnight fast. This is because when you run in a fasted state, your body is stimulated to adapt by increasing more storage of glycogen similar to the storage process that occurs after a long run.